


Team

by sanctuary_for_all



Category: The Night Shift (TV 2014)
Genre: Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, I will forever be bitter this wasn't in the episode, M/M, Missing Scene, Romance, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-29
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-11 18:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7903291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The wedding we never got to see. ***Spoilers for the season 2 finale***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Drew hadn’t slept for 36 hours by this point, but he still didn’t feel the slightest bit tired. They were in Santa Fe, they’d made an appointment with the probate judge for the next day, and they were going to go buy rings in the morning. The next time he’d see San Antonio again, it was going to be as Rick’s husband.

Even now, staring up at the hotel room’s darkened ceiling, he couldn’t stop smiling. Sleep didn’t have a chance.

Next to him, he could feel Rick’s lips curve against his shoulder. “You’re still awake, aren’t you?” he murmured, sounding suspiciously awake himself.

Drew’s smile widened, and he turned his head to get a better look at the man he loved. The moonlight wasn’t enough to pick up all the details, but by now he was pretty sure he knew Rick’s face better than he knew his own. “Too busy thinking about how beautiful you are to go to sleep,” he murmured.

 Rick’s smile took on a bashful edge. “Guys aren’t beautiful.”

“You keep saying that, and you keep being wrong.” Drew rolled so he was braced above Rick, then bent down to give him a long, slow kiss. When they broke apart, Drew leaned his forehead against Rick’s. “We’re getting married tomorrow,” he murmured, hearing the euphoria in his own voice.

“Yes, we are.” Rick sounded just as happy, hands sliding around to cradle the back of Drew’s head. “We should throw a party when we get back. Invite everybody over to apologize for the fact that we’re doing this without them.”

He thought about everyone back at the ER, and the razzing he’d go through when he came back with a wedding ring on his finger. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I’m going to get my ass kicked for it anyway.” He also thought about the time they’d gone over to Bauder’s place for a barbeque, how happy Rick had been that they could just be there, together. How happy he’d been, unafraid even in front of people he still didn’t know that well. “But yeah, let’s do it. The apartment will be packed with your platoon, my unit and half the ER there, but we’ll squeeze everyone in.” He stole another quick kiss. “Our first official act as husbands.”

Rick’s grin took on a wicked edge.  “Actually, I’m almost positive our first act as husbands is going to happen right in this hotel room.” He pulled Drew back down for another, more intense kiss. “You don’t even have your uniform on yet, and I’m already looking forward to peeling it off you.”

He thought about their uniforms, hanging next to each other in the tiny hotel closet. They’d hung exactly like that in their closet at home ever since Rick had come back, and there’d been the faintest trace of hesitation on Rick’s face as he’d shown Drew that he brought them. “We don’t have to wear them, you know,” he said quietly, voice serious now as he pulled back to get a better look at Rick’s face. “I’d marry you in sweats if that was what we had.”

Rick raised an eyebrow. “You think I wasn’t serious about wanting to get you out of that uniform? That is one of my _favorite_ memories of that weekend.”

Drew’s lips curved upward again at the memory of the weekend Rick was talking about. Yeah, that had been a pretty good memory. “Mine, too.” Then he sighed, stroking his thumb over Rick’s cheek. “I don’t want to remind you of what you’re giving up.”

“I told you, I’m not giving up anything,” he said softly, smoothing his hands down Drew’s back. “I’ve got you.”

Drew’s throat went tight as he leaned his forehead against Rick’s again. “If you say shit like that at the wedding,” he managed, voice rough with emotion. “I’m going to cry in front of complete strangers.”

“Not a chance.” Rick tightened his arms around him. “I’m the crier.”

It was an old joke between them, and Drew gave him another kiss as a rush of affection hit. “Only over movies where the dog dies,”  he teased. “Though you were kind of asking for it with ‘Turner and Hooch.’”

Rick gave him a mock glare. “I still can’t believe you didn’t warn me about that.”

He put on his best falsely innocent look. “I assumed you’d already seen it! It came out in _1989_ – I assume literally _everyone_ has seen—“

Rick used his leg to flip them both around, so that Drew was on his back on the bed, and stopped him with a kiss. “I was too busy watching every movie John Wayne ever made,” he murmured when they broke apart. “Turns out I have a thing for tough, stoic types.” He stole another kiss. “Especially the predictable ones.”

Drew tightened his hold on Rick, so grateful to be where he was that he could barely breathe. Even after all they’d been through – _especially_ after all they’d been though – he had no doubt that Rick loving him was the best thing that had ever happened to him. “Lucky me,” he murmured, pulling him down for another kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

Years before, when his mother had been shaking her head over the second divorce one of the cousins was going through, she’d sat Rick down and told him marriage was a job. “If you’re lucky, it will be the best job you ever have,” she’d said solemnly, her voice as serious as he’d ever heard it. “But if you want to keep it, you’ve got to work at it just as hard as you do your grades or the football team. The best marriages take everything you’ve got.”

At the time, marriage had been the furthest thing from his mind – making sure his eyes didn’t linger on any of his teammates’ asses when they were in uniform had been enough of a challenge – but the words had stuck with him as he’d grown up. Which had ended up being a good thing, since it had made the question of whether or not to take the position in South Carolina surprisingly simple. All he had to do was decide which job he wanted more.

Honestly, it hadn’t even really been a question.

But he hadn’t actually been Drew’s husband. Not yet – that would take a job _here_ , one that made it clear that he could hold up his end of things, and just the right approach. Because Drew loved him, and Rick knew that, but Drew was also good at thinking through every single way something could go wrong. If he gave him the chance, Rick was afraid Drew would find a reason why them getting married wasn’t a good idea.

Just as he’d been gearing up to it, though, Drew had asked him. Suddenly, finding the right words hadn’t mattered, because Drew was just as sure as Rick was. And once Drew was certain about something, not even the entire U.S. Army could make him change his mind.

More than anything, Rick always wanted to be someone Drew could be that certain of.

000

“That is… quite a mural,” Drew said, staring up at the scene covering the wall above the commission seats. “It’s probably good the seats are facing the other way. If I were a commissioner, I’d be way too busy looking at it to pay attention to the meeting.” 

Rick smiled, squeezing Drew’s hand. He’d been holding onto it pretty much every chance he could for most of the morning, and he wasn’t planning on stopping any time soon. They were getting _married_. “They’re probably used to it by now.”

Drew turned to look at him, expression going so soft and full of love that it made Rick’s chest clench. “Some things, you never get used to,” he murmured.

The probate judge came back into the room, followed by the two county employees who’d probably been on their lunch break to serve as witnesses. “Are we ready?” she asked brightly, and when they nodded she gestured for them to step into position. As the two witnesses moved into their own places, she smiled at them both. “I saw the video of the interview the two of you did online,” she said quietly. “I’m so pleased you decided to come here to be married.”

Rick felt Drew tense, just a little. Even though he was definitely, securely all the way out of the closet, Drew still wasn’t entirely comfortable being recognized by people he didn’t know. Still, Drew nodded at the woman. “Thank you.” Rick squeezed his hand again, thumb stroking gently over Drew’s knuckles, and Drew relaxed enough to even smile at her a little. “We’re happy to be here.”

Then he met Rick’s eyes, and Drew’s smile widened as he returned the hand squeeze. Rick felt his eyes sting a little, remembering getting the call before the interview.

_Rick stared down at Drew’s name on his phone, letting himself be afraid for a second. There was every chance that Drew could be calling him to say it was too much, that he was sorry but being with Rick wasn’t enough of an incentive to work at overcoming his biggest fear. And Rick would have to accept that._

_He took a deep breath, then answered. “Hey.”_

_“Hey.” He could hear the nerves in Drew’s voice. “So… I kind of said yes to an interview for both of us on one of the local news channels.” The words rushed out of him, like he was afraid Rick was going to be mad. In reality, Rick was stunned enough that he was having trouble making his voice work right. “I know I should have asked you first, but I knew I’d let myself panic if I waited too long, and—“_

_“Drew,” Rick managed finally, not able to keep the emotion out of his voice as he cut Drew off. “I’ll be there.”_

_He could hear Drew swallow. “Really?”_

_“Yeah, really.” His heart felt like it was too big to fit in his chest, making it ache in the best way. “Just tell me where and when.”_

_For a moment there was no response, just the sound of Drew breathing on the other end of the phone. “I love you,” Drew said finally, voice thick._

_Rick swiped his fingers across suddenly damp eyes. He was home. “I love you, too.”_

Now, though, it was the judge’s turn to speak. “Are we ready?”

Rick nodded, holding on to Drew’s hand with both of his. Drew nodded as well, covering their joined hands with his other one. Together, the way it was supposed to be.

At the signal, the judge began the ceremony. “The marriage contract is the most cherished contract in our society because it forms the basis for our social structure. This solemn agreement between you both has permanent legal standing, and we are serving as witnesses to it. By means of this ceremony, the two of you will become united in a special new way. To this moment, you bring the fullness of your hearts to share with one another; you bring the dreams which bind you together in spirit; you bring your individuality, which will be preserved, but out of which will emerge your life together.”

He’d needed to be a whole person again before he could let himself be with Drew. He could even be without Drew, if he had to, but his life _with_ Drew was so much richer and better than anything he could ever manage on his own. He would try hard to make sure Drew could always say the same about life with him.

From the way Drew’s face shone as the judge turned to him, he thought he might be managing it. “Drew Alister, will you have this man to be your lawfully wedded husband; and will you promise your faithfulness to him, in all love and honor, in all duty and service, and in all faith and tenderness, to live with him, and cherish him, according to the bonds of marriage?”

Drew nodded before the judge had even finished speaking, voice ringing out clear and confidently. “I will.”

Rick’s throat had gone tight by the time the judge turned to him. “Rick Lincoln, will you have this man to be your lawfully wedded husband; and will your promise your faithfulness to him, in all love and honor, in all duty and service, and in all faith and tenderness, to live with him, and cherish him, according to the bonds of marriage?”

He sniffed, blinking hard. “I absolutely will.” Drew smiled at that, lifting their joined hands to press a kiss against Rick’s knuckles.

The judge gave them both a fond look. “It’s time for the rings.”

They broke apart to both reach into the breast pockets of their uniforms, pulling out identical gold bands. They’d both liked how traditional they were, and neither of them needed anything fancy.

They just needed each other.

“Repeat after me,” the judge said, as Drew took Rick’s hand. “I, Drew Alister, take you, Rick Lincoln to be my wedded husband, and I promise to be your faithful husband, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live. This ring I give to you in token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.”

Drew repeated the words, voice brimming with emotion, then he slid the ring on Rick’s finger. From the first second, it felt like it had always been a part of Rick’s hand.

The judge turned to Rick. “Repeat after me. I, Rick Lincoln, take you, Drew Allister to be my wedded husband, and I promise to be your faithful husband, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live. This ring I give you in token and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love.”

Rick repeated the words, his voice shaking a little. Then he slid the ring on Drew’s finger, eyes filling as he pressed his own kiss to Drew’s hand. When he looked up, Drew’s eyes were suspiciously damp.

“By the authority invested in me by the city of Santa Fe, the county of Santa Fe, and the state of New Mexico, I declare that you are now husband and husband in concordance with the laws of the state and nation.” She smiled at them both. “You may kiss your groom.”

The rest of the room fell away as their lips met, and Rick let himself fall into the kiss with a sense of freedom he’d only ever felt skydiving or with Drew. He wanted to give Drew everything, secure in the knowledge that Drew was giving him that much in return.

When they broke apart, they pulled each other closer and held on with all the strength in their bodies. “Be warned,” Drew murmured against his neck. “There’s a pretty good chance I’m going to be calling you ‘my husband’ about once a sentence for at _least_ the next 24 hours.”

Rick laughed, eyes still wet. “Don’t worry,” he breathed. “I’ll be doing the same thing to you.”


	3. Chapter 3

There was no wedding cake, but there was some perfectly nice pie available at a diner a few blocks from the hotel. Drew ordered banana cream, Rick ordered chocolate cream, and they teased each other about their choices as they held hands across the table.

“It’s un-American not to like chocolate, _husband_.” Rick’s lips kept curving upward as he rubbed his thumb along Drew’s wedding ring. “They’re actually considering drafting a law about it in D.C.”

“Excuse me, _husband_ , but _apple_ is the mandatory American pie.” Drew’s grin kept sneaking back onto his face as well, his chest so warm and full that it felt like he could take off at any moment. He was still amazed at how good the ring felt on his hand, a constant silent reminder that he and Rick were _married_  now. “Except with cheese. That’s just wrong.”

Rick cocked his head, considering. “Actually, it’s not as bad as you think. Once you get over the weirdness factor, cheddar actually makes the apples taste more apple-y.”

“Yeah, but you’re the same guy who thinks banana cream is ‘boring.’” Drew tightened his fingers around Rick’s. “Clearly, you’re judgment can’t be trusted when it comes to pies.”

The waitress, a motherly-looking woman with a nametag on her chest that said “Dinah,” was smiling as she set the slices of pie down on front of them. “On the house,” she said, adding an extra swirl of spray whipped topping to both slices. “Consider this our way of saying congratulations.”

The grins won out on both his and Rick’s faces. For once, the attention made Drew feel proud rather than exposed. “Is it that obvious?” he asked, pleased by the thought that their connection was so obvious that anyone could see it.

Dinah laughed. “Yeah, honey, it is.” She patted Rick on the shoulder before heading back to the counter. “It’s always nice seeing newlyweds or soldier boys around here. Getting both in one couple is a real treat.”

After she’d passed by, a man eating a few booths away muttered “fucking queers” loudly enough that Drew and Rick would be certain to hear him. Drew tensed, an old habit, and Rick shot him a concerned look across the table. Drew looked down, focusing on the sight of their wedding rings so close together. He was still proud to be married to the most amazing man he’d ever met, and he’d be damned if he let some random asshole make him forget that.

He let out a breath, smiling at Rick. Rick smiled back. He was the only person whose judgment really mattered, in the end, and he clearly felt that Drew was worth holding onto. Everyone else would just have to deal with that fact.

Drew took a bite of his pie, chewing it thoughtfully as he eyed both slices with exaggerated speculation. “You know, if we really want to keep with the spirit of the occasion I should probably smash this in your face.”

Rick grinned, swiping a finger full of whipped topping from his pie. “Or I could smash this in your face. Technically, a cake smash can happen in either direction.”

“That sounds like the start of a food fight.” Drew grinned back. “You sure you’re ready to challenge me?”

“I think I can manage it.” Rick countered, a light in his eyes. “I may be an only child, but our football team is still famous at Billings West for the Great Mashed Potato Offensive of 99.”

“As I have no interest in spending our first night as a married couple in jail, we should probably restrain ourselves.” Drew winked as he stole his own finger full of Rick’s whipped topping. “But I’ll keep that in mind.”

Rick stole a finger full of Drew’s pie, licking it off slowly enough to make Drew seriously consider taking the pie to go. “You do that.”

000

Later, after several pleasant hours at the hotel and a splurge on room service so they didn’t have to get dressed again, Drew laid his head on Rick’s chest. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so annoyed that I have to go back to work,” he murmured. They’d have to start heading back to Santa Fe in the morning if he wanted to be back at the hospital for his next shift, and Rick needed sleep before he started work on Monday.

Rick chuckled. “Knowing you, that’s actually pretty flattering.” He smoothed a hand along Drew’s back, looking thoughtful. “Once I’ve settled in at work, we’ll take some time off for a real honeymoon.”

It was a good idea, and would give him enough lead time to make sure he’d locked down the time off. “I wouldn’t mind going back to California,” Drew offered.  “I didn’t feel comfortable enough last time to appropriately ogle you in your suit.”

He felt Rick hesitate, then sigh. “I didn’t think about the beach.”

Drew pushed himself up on his elbow to look down at Rick. “If you want me to be the only one who gets the chance to ogle you in your suit, I have no problem with that,” he said, voice light but his intent completely serious. “But it’s really only fair to give those poor souls who don’t have husbands as attractive as you are the chance to at least appreciate you from a distance.”

Rick just looked at him for a moment, clearly touched. “Well, if that’s the case,” he said finally, voice rough. “We should really give them the chance to ogle _my_ incredibly attractive husband, too.”

“Oh, I already planned on that.” Drew grinned. “You want to be the one to call him, or should I?”

Rick laughed as he pulled Drew down for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my new original fiction on my [blog](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


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